As cellular service providers upgrade their networks to the new generation systems, such as 2.5G (2.5 Generation) and 3G systems, the networks can provide data services that could not be provided by the older systems. For example, the 2.5G and 3G systems are able to transport photographs and provide email services, such as email with attachments, which could not be provided by the predecessor systems. However, such data services consume a great deal of bandwidth, which is a limited, and as a result an expensive, resource.
In order to provide reasonable customer service, cellular service providers must have sufficient bandwidth to meet peak load demands. With the additional data services made possible by 2.5G and 3G systems, cellular service providers may not have sufficient bandwidth available to meet peak load demands or may have to acquire additional bandwidth at great, and possibly prohibitive, expense. A result is diminished customer service or excessive corporate debt load. However, ample bandwidth is available if the data services may be shifted to off load periods. For example, in a typical wireless communication system, average utilization of radio frequency (RF) bandwidth is low, commonly in a range of 35 percent (%) to 65 percent (%). However, instantaneous RF bandwidth utilization during peak load time periods may be considerably higher and can approach 100 percent (%), while off load RF bandwidth utilization may be considerably lower, at times 10 percent (%) or less.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus that shifts a provision of data services by cellular service providers to off load periods.